The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1) by Julia Quinn

 
From Goodreads

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the first novel in her beloved Regency-set series featuring the charming, powerful Bridgerton family— Look for BRIDGERTON, coming soon to Netflix.

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable…but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty:

Love ignores every rule…

My thoughts

I think most of us, unless we have been hiding under a rock somewhere will by now have heard of the Bridgerton series on Netflix.  I am yet to watch any of the series, but as an avid reader I usually prefer to read the books first.  So I duly grabbed a copy from my local Library and reserved the second one in the series at the same time, without having read a page.

I gave this 4 stars or 8/10.  It was an enjoyable romp with a few twists and turns along the way, as we the reader wondered whether Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings and Miss Daphne Bridgerton would end up together or not.  The course of true love never runs smooth and this relationship between Simon and Daphne is no different than any other in that respect.  

This is the first in the Bridgerton series and I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series, to watch how the relationships between the Bridgertons and their prospective partners develop.

Grab a copy for yourself and immerse yourself in the world of the Bridgertons.